After conception how long before pregnant

Some women share anecdotes about their pregnancy symptoms as early as 4—5 DPO, while others report not noticing any changes to their body until much later. Although signs are possible this early on, they are unlikely to appear this soon in the majority of people. Many of the early symptoms, such as breast tenderness or fatigue , are instead linked to hormonal changes during ovulation or menstruation.

Implantation may already have taken place at 5 DPO, or it may be about to happen soon. As a result, depending on the time of conception, it is possible for women to feel some symptoms of pregnancy this early on. Pregnancy tests are not accurate at 5 DPO, but some women later find that their early symptoms were indeed due to pregnancy. At 5 DPO, if the sperm has reached and fertilized the egg, the cells within the newly formed zygote begin multiplying to create a lump of cells called a blastocyst.

These cells continue to multiply as the blastocyst makes its way down the fallopian tubes and into the uterus. When the blastocyst reaches the uterine wall, it attaches itself to get access to nutrients through the blood. At 5 DPO, the blastocyst may either be traveling to the uterine wall or already connected to it.

If it is attached, the blastocyst has started its journey toward becoming a fetus, and pregnancy is underway. The specific symptoms of pregnancy vary hugely from woman to woman. Women may experience cramps very early on in pregnancy. These are due to implantation, which is when the fertilized egg attaches to the lining of the uterus.

Implantation cramps may occur a few days after ovulation, and many women say that they feel cramps around 5 DPO. These cramps may occur in the lower back, abdomen, or pelvis.

Around 25 percent of women may notice slight bleeding around the time of implantation. This is called implantation bleeding, and it tends to be lighter in color and flow than a menstrual bleed. Many women keep track of their basal, or baseline, body temperature while trying to conceive because it changes throughout the menstrual cycle. The temperature increases after ovulation and may stay higher than usual until the period begins.

A basal body temperature that remains unusually high beyond the typical length of time may indicate pregnancy. However, these signs are not unique to pregnancy and can be due to another hormonal or lifestyle factor. According to the National Institutes of Health , other early signs and symptoms of pregnancy may include:.

Some women also report feeling dizzy or wobbly early on in pregnancy, often when they get up after lying down. This symptom may be due to changes in the blood vessels carrying oxygen to the brain. The receptivity of the uterus and the health of the embryo are important for the implantation process. UCSF Health medical specialists have reviewed this information.

It is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or other health care provider. We encourage you to discuss any questions or concerns you may have with your provider. It is important to get the nutrients you need both before getting pregnant and during your pregnancy. Find more nutrition information including macros here. Find frequently asked questions regarding fertility services at UCSF including, when should you consider fertility services, success rates and more.

Maternal age is probably the most significant factor related to a woman's ability to conceive. Learn about other infertility risk factors here. Ovulation induction uses hormonal therapy to stimulate egg development and release, or ovulation, the goal being to produce a single, healthy egg.

Learn more. Your overall health is a reflection of your reproductive health. Give yourself a long and healthy life. Consider these tips to stay healthy. Some women have difficulty conceiving because of problems in their reproductive system such as a congenital malformation and require surgery. Learn more here. Hormones secreted by the hypothalamus, the pituitary and the ovary are the messengers that regulate the menstrual cycle. High-risk pregnancy. Infertility in men. Infertility in women.

Donor Sperm Insemination. Intrauterine Insemination IUI. Pre-Implantation Genetic Diagnosis. Patient Education. To become pregnant , the following steps must occur: Sperm transport — The sperm must be deposited and transported to the site of fertilization. Egg transport — Ovulation must occur and the egg must be "picked up" by the tube.

Fertilization and embryo development — Union between the sperm and egg must result. Before you even take that pregnancy test, you may get a heads-up in the form of some early pregnancy symptoms. But because many of these early signs of pregnancy will be similar to symptoms you have right before you get your period, it can be hard to tell the difference.

Very early pregnancy symptoms like sensitivity to smell and tender breasts may show up before you miss your period, as soon as a few days after conception, while other early signs of pregnancy like spotting might appear around one week after sperm meets egg. Still others like urinary frequency often appear a few weeks or so following conception.

That said, early pregnancy symptoms crop up at different times in different people. You may not notice or be able to confirm other early pregnancy symptoms for a few weeks. Some experience very few if any of these signs until several weeks into their pregnancies.

And though many women never feel any early pregnancy symptoms, others suffer from them all. Quiz: Am I Pregnant? While pregnancy tests and your practitioner can offer definitive answers, these early pregnancy symptoms may be clues that you're expecting. You could also have none of them at all and still go on to have a perfectly healthy pregnancy. Although every woman is different, these early symptoms can first appear before you even miss your period.

If you've been using a special basal body thermometer to track your first morning temperature, you might notice that it rises around 1 degree when you conceive and stays elevated throughout your pregnancy. Though not a foolproof early pregnancy symptom there are other reasons your temp can rise , it could give you advance notice of the big news. A heightened sense of smell is an early pregnancy symptom that makes previously mild odors strong and unappealing.

Since it's one of the first symptoms of pregnancy many women report, babies might be in the air if your sniffer's suddenly more sensitive and easily offended.

Tender, swollen breasts and darkening, bumpy areolas are among the breast changes you might experience early in pregnancy. The hormones estrogen and progesterone deserve most of the credit or the blame for this early pregnancy symptom. The breast tenderness is pain with a gain, though, since it's part of your body's preparation for the milk-making to come. Your areolas the circles around your nipples may get darker and increase in diameter. You'll also likely start to notice tiny bumps growing in size and number on your areolas.

These bumps, called Montgomery's tubercles, were always there, but now they're gearing up to produce more oils that lubricate your nipples once baby starts nursing. Imagine climbing a mountain without training while carrying a backpack that weighs a little more every day.

That's pregnancy in a nutshell! In other words, it's hard work, which is why fatigue is an early pregnancy symptom almost every mom-to-be experiences. When you get pregnant, a huge amount of energy goes into building a placenta, the life-support system for your baby. All that can zap you of your usual get-up-and-go, and cause pregnancy fatigue shortly after you conceive.

Light spotting or implantation bleeding before you'd expect your period is sometimes an early pregnancy symptom signaling that an embryo has implanted itself into the uterine wall , which may be accompanied by menstrual-like cramps. Spotting, however, can sometimes be a mid-cycle blip before your usual period, especially if you have an irregular or disrupted cycle.

Have you become a student of your cervical mucus? This thin, milky-white discharge is normal and healthy, but speak to your practitioner if it appears lumpy or thick.